Contents

History

The Centennial Light is a four-watt,[3]
hand-blown, carbon-filament, common light bulb manufactured in
Shelby, Ohio, by
the Shelby Electric Company[4]
in the late 1890s; many just like it still exist and can be found
functioning.[5]
According to Zylpha Bernal Beck, the bulb was donated to the Fire
Department by her father, Dennis Bernal in 1901.[6] Bernal
owned the Livermore Power and Water Company and donated the bulb to
the fire station when he sold the company. That story has been
supported by firefighter volunteers of that era.[7]

The bulb's history is difficult to ascertain, although evidence
suggests the bulb has hung in at least four locations. It was
originally hung in 1901 in a hose cart house on L Street,[8]
then moved to a garage in downtown Livermore used by the fire and
police departments.[9]
When the fire department consolidated, it was moved again to a
newly constructed City Hall that housed the unified departments.
Its unusual longevity was first noticed in 1972 by reporter Mike
Dunstan. After weeks of interviewing people who had lived in
Livermore all their lives, he wrote "Light Bulb May Be World's
Oldest", published in the Tri-Valley
Herald. The article came to the attention of Charles Kuralt of
the TV program On the Road with Charles Kuralt. Kuralt
contacted Guinness Book of World
Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not,
and General
Electric who all confirmed it as the longest-lasting bulb known
in existence. In 1976, the fire department moved to Fire Station #6
with the bulb; the bulb's cord was severed for fear that unscrewing
it could damage it. It was deprived of electricity for only 22
minutes during the transfer, which was made in a specially designed
box and with full firetruck escort. An electrician was on hand to
install the bulb into the new fire station's emergency generator.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not stated that the short delay would not
mar the bulb's continuous burning record. In 2001, the bulb's 100th
birthday was celebrated with a community barbecue and live
music.[4]
As of 2009, the bulb hasn't been shut off for over 32 years.

The bulb is cared for by the Centennial Light Bulb Committee, a
partnership of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, Livermore
Heritage Guild, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and
Sandia National Laboratories. The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire
Department plans to house and maintain the bulb for the rest of its
life, regardless of length. When it does go out, they have no plans
for it. Ripley's Believe it or Not! has requested it for
their museum.[4]
The bulb's long life has been attributed to its low power, near
continuous operation, and dedicated power supply.[10]

Publicity

The bulb was officially listed in the Guinness Book of World
Records as "the Most Durable Light", in 1972, replacing
another bulb in Fort Worth, Texas. The bulb was
listed in the book for the next 16 editions. It was not listed
during 1988–2006, without a reason being given, before returning in
2007.[11]

The bulb has its own website, and can be continuously viewed, by
webcam, over the Internet. The
site is maintained by the Centennial Light Bulb Committee, a
partnership of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, Livermore
Heritage Guild, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and
Sandia National Laboratories. The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire
Department welcomes visitors to come and see the bulb, but makes no
guarantee that officers will be on duty to let them in; if officers
are unavailable, visitors are encouraged simply to view it through
the window.

On December 6th the bulb was mentioned in an article in the
Munich-based newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung about the
decision of the European Union to abandon the light bulb and
replace it with low-energy alternatives.